Friday, April 8, 2016

National Wildlife Week and Jack Miner

The week that has April 10 is known as National Wildlife Week. The 10th of April is also the birthdate of Jack Miner. Back in 1947, the House of Commons of Canada passed a Bill proclaiming the week, in response to the contributions of Jack Miner.

Jack was keen on nature and birds in his youth. He recognized the movement of waterfowl. Early in life (1904) he created a small sanctuary at Kingsville for geese. He was first and foremost a hunter but also a conservationist. In 1909 he put an aluminum band on a Black Duck with the Kingsville address. A month later, the duck was shot in South Carolina and the hunter returned the band. It was proof that waterfowl migrated long distances. From there, bandings became popular.

He felt, in 1916, that there should be a Migratory Bird Treaty between the United States and Canada. He was the first Canadian to address the United States Congress on the issue. Through his efforts, that treaty was formed.

The philosophy of the day was certainly different than that of today with respect to hunting and Jack Miner was a controversial figure at times with his beliefs and practices.

In 1923 he published a book telling the story of his life and about bird conservation. He wrote it himself.
I have a copy of that book, as depicted below.

Inscription on inside....

The sanctuary and grounds in Kingsville is quite an attraction for waterfowl.

This weekend, the Jack Miner Migratory Bird Foundation at Jack Miner's in Kingsville is hosting a special weekend. Check out the website at: http://jackminer.ca/